February 3 2025

Smiles and Serves: A Perfect Day for Pickleball

It was an incredible afternoon for pickleball enthusiasts in Florida! On February 1st, Lakewood Ranch Country Club hosted the 2nd Annual Casey Cares Serve Up Smiles Pickleball Tournament with over 150 participants. The day was a resounding success and packed with friendly competition, exciting giveaways, and prizes while raising over $55,000 for critically ill children in our programs! The money will be used to provide hundreds of fun activities and Movie & Pizza Night packages for homebound kids. Thank you to everyone who participated, donated, and supported this incredible event.

Congratulations to our winners!

Men’s Advanced: Brian Grogan and John Riley
Men’s Intermediate: Aaron Muai and Jonathan Lth
Men’s Beginner: Jake Baynes and Michael Murray
Women’s Advanced: Jen Kahler and Shellie Feola
Women’s Intermediate: Kirstin Hakes and Merrill Spector
Women’s Beginner: Sarah Burch and Grace Kadel

We couldn’t have done it without our amazing sponsors! A special shoutout to our Presenting Sponsor: Nature’s Truth, and our Affiliate Sponsors: RenewLife, Neocell, and Natural Vitality. Your support is invaluable and made our event possible, creating countless joyful memories for critically ill children in our programs.

Participants had the opportunity to hear from Chris, a Casey Cares teen living with cystic fibrosis. He shared how Casey Cares has supported him and his family during his treatment journey. Chris and his dad also joined in the fun by participating in the tournament!

A MASSIVE thank you to our dedicated committee members:

Lee Ann Reich (Chair)
Yvette Varnadore
Patti Cron O’Neill
Ellen Ramy
Lori Arledge

A shoutout to our wonderful volunteers:
Taylor Shortridge, Erin Martin, Caitlin Kotek, Julia Keppel, Sarah Shortridge, Carla Roslovic, Heather Greenberg, Kim Laverick, Marissa Sprungman, Hannah Sprungman, Olivia Spiegel, Gigi DeCampos, Luca Blin March, Paige Reich, Jake Baynes, Michael Murray, and the professional players: Pedro Penteado, Erica Love, Philly Dillon, Todd Fisher, Paul Lederman. We are grateful for your hard work in prepping the courts and ensuring everything ran smoothly!

Platinum Sponsors: The Curran Foundation and Neal Communities

Jubilee Sponsors: Craig & Lee Ann Reich, Stock Homes, BayCare, and Laura Stavola with Premier Sotheby’s

Gherkin Sponsors: Keith and Amy King, Sue DeRamo, Handyman Roofing, Ben Alpert and Tony and Ellen Ramy

Dink Sponsors: Richard Dean Isenberg and Acentria Insurance

Custom Sponsors: Patti Cron O’Neill & Tim O’Neill, Kim & Blaine Laverick, Steven & Alison Eichenbaum, Yvette & David Varnadore, Michele Caba, Lori Arledge, Benevity, and the Greenbergs

Official Ball Sponsor: Joola

Official Sweet Treats Sponsor: The Lume Kitchen

Official Snack Sponsor: Healthy Bites Catering

We also loved having a host of amazing vendors share their businesses during our tournament: